Man pleads guilty to child sex charges

Papamoa scout leader Graham Morine in 2011. File photo.

A former Papamoa scout group leader used fear to force two young children to sleep in his bed where he molested them.

Graham William Morine, 76, has pleaded guilty to four representative charges of indecent assault and sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection, and will appear in the Tauranga District Court next year for sentence.

The charges relate to an incident in 2012 when two young children, whose sex cannot legally be identified, were staying at his house for the weekend.

Morine admitted his behaviour when confronted by the police.

Morine had been an ardent supporter of Scouts and had appeared in local newspaper articles promoting children join up to the organisation.

He had celebrated more than 60 years of involvement in Scouts and his five children had all participated in scouting activities.

Morine was a no-show when he was set to appear on December 7 and a warrant had to be issued for his arrest. He had cited health reasons as his rationale, but Crown prosecutor Anna Pollett said Morine often used his health as an excuse.